1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus on which a process cartridge is detachably mountable.
2. Description of Related Art
Here, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus serves to form an image on a recording medium by the use of the electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus include, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (such as a laser printer or an LED printer), a facsimile apparatus, a word processor and a machine combining one or more of these (such as a multifunction printer).
The process cartridge sometimes refers to charging means, developing means, cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive body integrally made into a cartridge which is made detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus main body. Alternately, it refers to at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive body integrally made into a cartridge which is made detachably mountable on the image forming apparatus main body. Further, it refers to at least developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive body integrally made into a cartridge which is made detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus main body.
Heretofore, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic image forming process, there has been adopted a process cartridge system in which an electrophotographic photosensitive body and process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive body are integrally made into a cartridge which is made detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus main body. According to this process cartridge system, the maintenance of the apparatus could be done by a user himself without resort to a serviceman and therefore, the operability of the apparatus could be markedly improved. So, this process cartridge system is widely used in image forming apparatuses.
To obtain a good image in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using such a process cartridge, it is necessary that the process cartridge be properly mounted at a predetermined position in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body and interface parts such as various electrical contacts and a drive transmitting part be properly connected together.
So, there has been proposed a mechanism for detachably mounting a process cartridge as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-174933. This is a mechanism which is provided with a main body guide movable in the image forming apparatus and in which an openable and closable cover and the main body guide are connected together by a connecting member, whereby the main body guide is operatively associated with the opening and closing operation of the openable and closable cover. Thereby, the process cartridge placed on the main body guide passes along a predetermined locus in the main body with the closing operation of the openable and closable cover and is properly transported to an operating position and therefore a positioning part and various electrical contacts are properly connected together, and is drawn out to a position easy to take it out by the opening operation of the openable and closable cover.
Also, it is unnecessary to push the process cartridge into the inner part of the image forming apparatus main body when the user mounts the process cartridge on the image forming apparatus main body, and the process cartridge is automatically mounted by the user closing the openable and closable cover and therefore, the operability of the apparatus is good.
The present invention is a further development of the aforedescribed conventional system.